So what changed in the Hopewell Valley landscape in the 1960s? One answer comes from comparing these 1962 and 1972 Hopewell Township road maps that continue the story of the development of the Hopewell Valley road network (see links below). Much of the Valley is still shown as open land, but these maps also show new roads from several now-familiar housing developments that were added during this period, particularly around Bear Tavern and between Pennington and Rocky Hill.
1962 & 1972 Hopewell Township Road Maps
These 1962 and 1972 Hopewell Township road maps are updates of a 1953 map prepared by the Township of Hopewell focused on the “status of roads,” and highlighting changes from the earlier maps.
- Explore the 1962 Hopewell Township Road Map in the Pan/Zoom Viewer
- Explore the 1972 Hopewell Township Road Map in the Pan/Zoom Viewer
1962 & 1972 – Washington Crossing
The maps mostly show minimal changes on the west side of Hopewell Township, along the Delaware River or in Titusville and Washington Crossing:
- The major addition on the west side is in the Bear Tavern area, around the new Continental Lane off Bear Tavern Road (Trenton Harbourton Road on the map), between the Washington Crossing Pennington Road and Pennington Titusville Road.
- There also are some new roads south of Washington Crossing (still the plural “Washingtons” Crossing on both the maps), between Maddock Road and Jacobs Creek. Jacobs Creek Road also is shown fading away along the Township line just before reaching the river.
1962 & 1972 – Pennington / Rocky Hill
The north side of Hopewell Township is relatively unchanged in these maps, including Harbourton, Woodsville, and Marshalls Corner, over to Hopewell Borough. The major changes are around Pennington and then east to Mount Rose:
- North up Main Street in Pennington is the extension of Franklin Avenue (Penn View Heights), with several new blocks up to Penn View Drive.
- South towards the circle are the new roads off Search Avenue, leading to the difficult intersection at Ingleside Avenue and Route 31.
Plus there are two new areas on the way from Pennington to Mount Rose out Pennington Rocky Hill Road:
- One new development (Princeton Farms), is north of Pennington Rocky Hill Road up to Wargo Road before Moores Mill Mount Rose Road, with Westcott Blvd. and Weldon Way.
- The second development (Elm Ridge Park), is south of Pennington Rocky Hill Road, between Elm Ridge Road and Bayberry Road, and clustered around Honey Lake.
What other changes do you notice about these maps?
These maps are courtesy of Roger Labaw and Bob Lawless.
Does anyone have versions of this map from other years, or similar local road maps that can help show changes in our local landscape?
More on Local Road Maps and Travel
Posts on local road maps and travel guides showing the development of the road infrastructure in the Hopewell Area.
- 1924 A.L.A. Automobile Green Book – Early touring guide with maps, travel information, and directions
- 1932 N. J. Driver’s Test Brochure – Q&A on traffic laws
- 1920s and 1962 Hopewell Road Maps – State and Township maps showing the original route of our Route 31 – through Pennington and forking at Marshall’s Corner
- Hopewell Valley Changes – 1962 & 1972 Road Maps – Township maps showing roads from new developments
- 1960s Hopewell Maps with Route 69 and I-95 – Esso maps showing the predecessor to our Route 31, and the plans for routing I-95 through the Hopewell Valley
